Residents near Liboi, Kenya said there was a fierce exchange of fire between the two sides [File: EPA]
Kenyan security forces on the border with Somalia have clashed with suspected members of the al-Shabab group, officials and residents said.

Wilson Murungi, the commissioner of Lagdera, said al-Shabab fighters ambushed a Kenyan border patrol and wounded one officer.

"The attack was not a raid inside [Kenya]. Our officers were attacked as they conducted a normal patrol. The armed group fired at them on the other side of the border," Murungi told Reuters.

Residents near the Liboi border post in Kenya, located 18km west of the Somali border, said there was a fierce exchange of fire between the two sides.

Both Kenya and al-Shabab were reported to be sending reinforcements to the area along the Kenyan border district of Lagdera on Tuesday. Such skirmishes have not previously escalated into any wider violence.

Al-Shabab, an armed opposition group with links to al-Qaeda, controls much of southern Somalia bordering northeastern Kenya and is fighting to topple the UN-backed government in the Horn of Africa nation.

Local fears

The armed group staged its first attack outside Somalia on July 11, when it carried out twin suicide bombings in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, leaving at least 74 people dead.

However, there have been fears for some time in Kenya that the violence could spill over the long and porous border between the two countries.

Yusuf Ali Mohamed, a resident in the Somali town of Dhobley, told the Reuters news agency: "Here in Dhobley, al-Shabab are calling people to jihad against Kenya and deploying more fighters to the border.

"Local people fear new fighting between the two sides."

Kenya tightened security along its border with Somalia in February in anticipation of a government offensive against al-Shabab and other anti-government groups, which has yet to materialise. There were fears that Somali fighters might try and enter Kenya if attacked at home.

Kenya has twice been hit by al-Qaeda-linked attacks and while it cannot take part in the African Union peacekeeping in Somalia because it is a neighbour, the government has pledged to do what it can to prevent the chaos next door spreading.

A General Service Unit officer was shot and injured at the Kenya-Somalia border in an attack blamed on Al-Shabaab militia.The officer, who was injured in the leg, was with his colleague when they were attacked yesterday morning in Harehare, 17km from Liboi town.The other officer escaped unhurt after he shot back at their attackers in a brief gun battle.Police headquarters said the officers were patrolling the area at 10.30am when they were ambushed.The attackers are said to have escaped towards Dobley town of Somalia, which is under the control of the militia.Officials said the scene of the attack is no-man's land, but Kenyan security personnel usually patrol to contain any attacks from the war-torn country.The injured officer was later transferred to Garissa Provincial Hospital in stable condition.The attack triggered a security operation with more personnel being deployed along the border.Witnesses said there was a convoy of lorries that drove to the area after the attack was reported.The incident occurred as security officials in Garissa were holed up in a meeting to plan President Kibaki's planned visit to rally support for the Proposed Constitution.The Kenya-Somalia border remains officially closed, but there have been claims of smuggling of goods, attacks and kidnappings linked to the militia in the past. The militia also claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks in Kampala, Uganda, last week killing 75 people and injuring scores.

A General Service Unit officer was shot and injured at the Kenya-Somalia border in an attack blamed on Al-Shabaab militia.The officer, who was injured in the leg, was with his colleague when they were attacked yesterday morning in Harehare, 17km from Liboi town.The other officer escaped unhurt after he shot back at their attackers in a brief gun battle.Police headquarters said the officers were patrolling the area at 10.30am when they were ambushed.The attackers are said to have escaped towards Dobley town of Somalia, which is under the control of the militia.Officials said the scene of the attack is no-mans land, but Kenyan security personnel usually patrol to contain any attacks from the war-torn country.The injured officer was later transferred to Garissa Provincial Hospital in stable condition.The attack triggered a security operation with more personnel being deployed along the border.Witnesses said there was a convoy of lorries that drove to the area after the attack was reported.The incident occurred as security officials in Garissa were holed up in a meeting to plan President Kibakis planned visit to rally support for the Proposed Constitution.The Kenya-Somalia border remains officially closed, but there have been claims of smuggling of goods, attacks and kidnappings linked to the militia in the past. The militia also claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks in Kampala, Uganda, last week killing 75 people and injuring scores.